Stats Inc. becomes data partner of NBA

The NBA and Stats Inc. have signed a multiyear data services deal
that gives the longtime statistics purveyor access to the league’s real-time
game information.

Morton Grove, Ill.-based Stats Inc. becomes an official real-time
data partner of the NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League and will be able to
sell that game data to its stable of media, fantasy gaming and industry
clients. Stats Inc. also will play a significant role in redeveloping NBA.com’s
fantasy game offerings, most notably a product that will be called NBA.com
Ultimate Fantasy Commissioner.

The NBA also maintains a relationship with SportsTicker for data
services, and because of that, the new deal is not exclusive. Financial terms
were not disclosed.

“We’re going to take all the bells and whistles we’ve learned and
developed in the fantasy space and put that engine into their game at NBA.com,”
said Stats Inc. executive vice president Steve Byrd. “It should be a much
different experience than before.”

The NBA-Stats Inc. deal also may lead to the
creation of more statistics, said Steve Hellmuth, NBA senior vice president of
technology, with one prominent possibility being a more defined counting of
contested shots as a measure of individual and team defense. Additionally, the
NBA will act as a liaison between its foreign TV partners and Stats Inc. as the
company seeks to broaden its non-U.S. business.